CAPTAIN'S LOGSTARSHIP ENTERPRISENCC-1701-B (C&C 37+)

A running Captain's Log of the sailing and racing yacht "Starship Enterprise"

Stardate 11544.4

Captain's Log: Stardate 11544.4
Conditions could not have been better for last night's race on the Enterprise. Temperatures in the 70s, winds in the low teens and blue skies all around. And, amazingly enough, the committee boat was running! Especially amazing since I was asked to tow that rustbucket last Sunday.

Missing last night was Ensign Dave Jr., still trapped at home studying for finals, and Crewman Elizabeth. Joining us, however, were Iris and Ed, winners of a night of racing on board the Enterprise in a silent auction to benefit the Westchester Choral Society. We did our best to make them feel welcome and ordered up some perfect weather.

Our start was textbook and we went to the corner to ride the current to the first mark.

Now, this is usually the part of the log where I get on Ceaser for his lackluster tacking skills, but, dammit, he actually did very well. Kurt too. Somebody had better start fucking up or I won't have a need to keep a log anymore.

We rounded the first mark in fourth place and passed one of the boats on the next short leg. We were going to need to tack quickly to get back up to the third mark again, so Dave did his best on foredeck to get the pole down and clear the sheets. Unfortunately, he dropped the pole right onto one of our guest's feet. It didn't come down all that hard and she was fine, but it's possible it saved me from a cracked expensive companionway hatch.

So, um, sorry, but, um, thank you, Iris.

The final leg consisted of a dying-breeze, tactical cat-and-mouse meets game-of-chicken battle with Stave Pritz on Prevail that should warrant a donation to the ASPCA. Nevertheless, after it all, the Enterprise took Prevail by over a boat length - a victory all in itself.

And during all that, we caught up to Wuestwind, but needed a few more yards of race course to pass them - our bow ended up crossing 3 seconds after theirs, giving us a 2nd-place crossing for the night and correcting into 4th (New Freedom and Saudades -- way back there -- corrected over the rest of us.)

We returned to the mooring and my wife brought out a birthday cake celebrating my final year in my 40s. Knowing how much I love Boston Cream Pie (and, frankly, the only thing from Boston I like, except for, being a Mets fan, when the Red Sox play the Yankees), this was a yellow cake with chocolate frosting and stuffed with Bavarian creme. Mmmmmm. Soooo goooooood.

Awesome wife. Period.

I can't remember having a better cake, even if everyone thought Bavarian was being misunderstood as "Barbarian".

And I don't know if it's a sign of getting old or not, but YRA of LIS, which I'm no longer a member of, just sent me a second reminder of the Third Annual Alzheimer's Regatta, and I have no recollection whatsoever of the first or second one. Really.

Anyway, speaking of birthdays: Tomorrow, Stardate 11544.7, marks the 10th Anniversary of the commissioning of the Enterprise-B: